Two Argentine YouTubers, Beni Marmol, 20, and Pato Perrotta, 26, were arrested at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Saturday for allegedly circumventing security to enter the Colombia-Portugal World Cup game. They are among 16 individuals arrested at the stadium during the match.
Marmol and Perrotta, who have hundreds of thousands of followers on their respective YouTube channels, are accused of bypassing three layers of security using expired credentials, according to Miami-Dade Sheriffs. Marmol told authorities he was an influencer attempting to stream the game. Perrotta stated he was hired by a media company to review the event and used credentials from a previous event, according to his arrest report.
Both YouTubers face a felony charge of illegally interfering with a sporting event, an offense punishable by up to five years in prison. Their manager, Walter Costabel, has stated that the pair are unharmed and not facing deportation but are prohibited from being near stadiums hosting World Cup matches.
Perrotta, with over 500,000 subscribers, and Marmol, with over 270,000, are known for content that includes shopping sprees and 24-hour challenges. Their alleged actions come amid increased scrutiny of stadium security following the 2024 Copa America final, which saw 27 arrests and 55 ejections.
Florida law now classifies unauthorized entry into ticketed events with over 5,000 attendees as a third-degree felony. The Colombia-Portugal match was attended by a sold-out crowd of 64,478, with over five million ticket requests. More than five million ticket requests were made for the game, and officials reported 17 ejections during the event.
Tickets for the match were in high demand, with prices reportedly ranging from $2,676 to $22,084 on resale platforms. The game concluded in a 0-0 draw, securing Colombia's advancement over Portugal in Group K. Portugal is scheduled to play Croatia next, while Colombia will face Ghana.